Drew McKissickhttp://drewmckissick.com
Your home for conservative campaigns, opinions and activism tipsThu, 30 Jul 2015 22:25:06 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3http://drewmckissick.comhttp://drewmckissick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/cropped-DM-logo-1.jpgDM LogoDrewMckissickhttps://feedburner.google.comThe Four Types of People in Politicshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/UYYhApTPK60/
http://drewmckissick.com/the-four-types-of-people-in-politics/#respondThu, 30 Jul 2015 22:24:09 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1522So often we can get frustrated by people in politics who do the wrong things (or even stupid things) unexpectedly. But usually that is because we let ourselves expect too much of people without giving much thought to “why” they may do the things that they do. The key is to know the types of […]

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]]>So often we can get frustrated by people in politics who do the wrong things (or even stupid things) unexpectedly. But usually that is because we let ourselves expect too much of people without giving much thought to “why” they may do the things that they do.

The key is to know the types of people in politics and what motivates them. Why did they get involved in politics to begin with? What do they want? What do they care about? Figure that out and you can go a long way towards predicting “what” they will do in most any situation.

Here’s a breakdown of the usual suspects:

Money-Grubbers

A lot of people who get involved in politics do it for the money. Whether it’s the elected official who hopes to cash in by working as a lobbyist one day, or the political hack who just goes to work for the highest bidder. This group grows larger as government gets bigger because the bigger government gets, the higher the financial stakes to businesses who need “protection” or who are “rent seeking”. The higher the stakes, the more numerous the pols who are all too willing to help them out – for a price (whether now or later).

This makes up an even bigger percentage of political professionals and consultants who are often less concerned about issues and principles and more about chasing the candidates (or businesses) who pay the most. And when money is the biggest principle in your life, it makes you very predictable.

Power-Mongers

This is the group that cares more about power – not quite as much as what it stands for or is used for, but just so long as they are the ones who get to use it. They always want to be “in charge” and driving the agenda, regardless of what the agenda is. They spend most of their time chasing whatever brings them the most power and influence over the political process, which tells you all that you usually need to know about what they will do in any given situation.

Egomaniacs

These people are related to the “power” group, but deserve their own category. They like to be recognized and they’re more interested in the ego stroking or attention that comes with being in the political limelight. This is the group that tends to get overly represented in sex scandals, (think interns, campaign staffers or political groupies…yes, they actually exist!).

It’s been said that politics is like show-business for ugly people, which makes Washington, DC the political version of Hollywood. And it explains much of the merger of news/entertainment and politics – celebrities who want to act like pols, and pols who want to be celebrities. Want to know what they’ll do in any situation? Figure out what will give them the most attention.

Ideologues

The last group is comprised of folks who care about issues. Whether liberal or conservative, they’ve got a burr in their britches about something, either a specific issue, group of issues or an overall philosophy. Most everything they do is geared towards pushing that agenda. They’re in it to make a difference.

Ideologues can be the most tenacious of the groups because they usually care about something they see as being larger than themselves, which also can make them harder to deal with and make them less likely to compromise. Sometimes they can be so caught up in the agenda that they lose sight of the wisdom of taking half a loaf today in order to be in a better position to win another battle tomorrow. It’s the flip-side of passion and commitment.

Hopefully you fit into this last category and are involved because you want to make a difference. Be passionate. Just make sure not to let it blind you to using good strategy.

***

Keep these types in mind when it comes to your political activism or lobbying campaigns. It can help you understand other activists, political professionals and elected officials.

Do the things that they usually do tend to bring them more money, power or attention? Or are they always pursuing an agenda?

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/the-four-types-of-people-in-politics/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/the-four-types-of-people-in-politics/HOW to Hold Successful Voter Registration Driveshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/aazyF30jRHQ/
http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-hold-successful-voter-registration-drives/#respondWed, 08 Jul 2015 17:36:46 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1517Making sure that conservatives are registered to vote is one of the most fundamentally important activities for the future political success of the conservative movement. One of the unpleasant truths of political life is that conservatives tend to be just as bad (or apathetic) about registering and voting as the rest of the general public. […]

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]]>Making sure that conservatives are registered to vote is one of the most fundamentally important activities for the future political success of the conservative movement.

One of the unpleasant truths of political life is that conservatives tend to be just as bad (or apathetic) about registering and voting as the rest of the general public. The result is that we don’t leverage our numbers and have the impact that we should. The simple fact is that if conservatives aren’t registered they can’t vote. And if they don’t vote, they don’t count.

The best way to have the highest rate of success in registering the right voters is to focus your efforts where those potential conservative voters gather on a regular basis.

In other words, church.

Every poll demonstrates that people who attend church hold the most politically conservative views, and vote accordingly when they actually do vote. By conducting regular voter registration drives in churches, we leverage our time and resources by registering voters who are already likely to agree with us and don’t require as much time and resources to convince to vote the right way on Election Day.

Here’s a list of some simple steps that you can take to conduct successful voter registration drives in your church.

Get Permission First

Make sure that you get the necessary permission from the pastor or other church leadership to conduct a voter registration drive. By making sure that they approve, you can avoid any problems or confusion and possible clear the way to having them help promote it ahead of time. Better still, they may even participate!

Get the Necessary Materials

You should be able to easily get copies of the voter registration form for your state from either your Secretary of State’s website or from your local voter registration office. It may even be possible to download a copy of the form and make copies, if that is acceptable in your state, (just be sure to call and find out ahead of time). Make sure to have enough forms on-hand for your church. A good number would be enough for at least half of your membership.

Promote It Ahead of Time

This is where having permission and cooperation from church leadership can be a big help. Place an announcement in the church bulletin several weeks in advance. If there is a bulletin board for announcements, or a time for announcements from the congregation, try to use these as well. If possible, get the pastor or other church leadership to make an announcement from the pulpit and give directions to where the registration table is located.

Set Up the Registration Table

Be sure to set up registration tables in areas that have heavy traffic, such as near the exits. Spread the forms out on the tables in such as way that everyone can easily access them. And make sure to have plenty of pens available.

Be active. Don’t sit down behind a table, but stand near the table and engage people in conversation. If you’re not pro-active, people are more likely to pass you by. Ask if they are registered to vote. Encourage them to fill out their form immediately at the table rather than taking it home where they might forget. Tell them that you will make sure that it gets delivered to the voter registration office.

Have a “Stand-up Sunday”

The most effective method of registering voters in a church is to have the pastor or other church leadership ask everyone to “stand up” if they are registered to vote, then have ushers pass out voter registration forms to everyone who is still seated. People are then asked to fill out their forms in their seat and either pass them down to the ushers or place them in a central location at the end of the service. Let everyone know that the church will take responsibility to make sure that the forms are delivered to the voter registration office.

Follow Up For More Impact

Be sure to make note of the names and contact information of everyone who has registered. This will enable you to follow up with them and make sure that they get important issue education information, as well as remind them to vote prior to future elections.

Other Opportunities:

To be even more effective, you can get a copy of the current voter registration list for your area and cross-reference it with the names in your church directory (and/or other nearby churches) to identify which members are not currently registered to vote. Then contact them about helping them register. Talk about accountability and the civic responsibility to participate in self-government, and the policy changes that could occur if more church members participated in our political process.

While the church is the largest market for unregistered conservative voters, there are other places that should be considered as well, such as religious schools and bookstores.

Finally, be sure to help magnify this effort by reaching out to other conservatives in your area and encouraging them to hold a registration drive in their church as well.

Remember, political success boils down to simple arithmetic. And every vote counts.

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-hold-successful-voter-registration-drives/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-hold-successful-voter-registration-drives/How to Have a Productive Meeting with Elected Officialshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/mPwSjzc5f2A/
http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-have-a-productive-meeting-with-elected-officials/#respondWed, 24 Jun 2015 17:54:19 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1510When it comes to lobbying, the squeaky wheel tends to get the grease. And while many different forms of lobbying can produce positive results, the most effective method is to meet with your elected officials personally. But if you’re going to have a personal meeting with elected officials, you want to do what you need […]

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]]>When it comes to lobbying, the squeaky wheel tends to get the grease. And while many different forms of lobbying can produce positive results, the most effective method is to meet with your elected officials personally.

But if you’re going to have a personal meeting with elected officials, you want to do what you need to do in order to get the most out of the visit. You want them to know what you think and why. You want to know what they think – and what they will do. And you want to make it as likely – and easy – as possible for them to agree to say “yes”.

Here are some simple tips to keep in mind that will help you get the most out of it.

Plan Your Visit

Treat it like you would any important business meeting (or at least the ones that you actually prepare for!). Be clear about what you want to accomplish. Identify which members of the legislative body (or council) you need to talk with to help achieve your goals. Elected officials usually won’t give as much priority to people who are not in their districts, so be sure to meet with the ones who represent YOU. If you don’t live in their district, take someone with you who does. Know what you want to say beforehand. Prepare a fact sheet or position paper that you can leave with them AFTER the meeting is over, (along with your contact information).

Schedule an Appointment

The “higher up” the political food chain the official is, the more staff they are likely to have. For local (and some state) officials, you can probably contact them directly. Federal officials with have a scheduler that you will need to contact to arrange a meeting. Explain your purpose and why you want to meet with them. Make sure that you have an understanding of how long the meeting will last. Elected officials typically like them short and sweet. Fifteen minutes is a good rule of thumb.

That’s enough time for you to accomplish two goals: 1) tell them what you want them to do and why, and 2) get feedback so you know what to expect from them, (and if whether or not they need more pressure from others who think like you do).

Be Prepared

Make sure that you have accurate information and material available on your issue. Elected officials have to deal with many issues, and it’s possible that they might not have the information that you can provide. Remember that there are always two sides to any issue (at least), and the more you know about the arguments of the opposition, the more effective your information should be in countering it.

Remember, frame the “problem” to fit your “solution”. Of course this doesn’t mean you have to be an expert. The most important points for you to get across are why the issue is important to you, and that you feel passionately about it. You’re a citizen with concerns. More importantly (to them), you’re a registered voter.

Be On Time and Be Patient

When seeing any elected official, be punctual. But remember, it’s not uncommon for them to run behind schedule or to have meetings get interrupted. If there is an interruption, be flexible. If possible, continue the meeting with a member of their staff.

Don’t Be Intimidated

Don’t let yourself get nervous or intimidated. Sure, you’re on their turf, but you’re also their boss. They work for you. Just remember to be polite about it. You’ve got something they want (your vote…and maybe even your help).

Pin Them Down

Elected officials will usually try to be noncommittal because as soon as they take a position they probably make someone angry. They would rather just listen politely, empathize, then shake hands and lead you to the door. Your job is to get to the bottom line. Sure it’s nice to have the satisfaction of being heard, but where do they stand at the end of the day? Be polite, but pin them down. (For example, “I’m glad that you’re concerned, but will you vote for or against the bill?” or, “I’m glad to hear you agree in concept, but will you cosponsor the bill?”) They may not like it, but they will respect you for it.

Be Political

Most elected officials try to represent the best interests of their constituents, (or at least the good ones do). Whenever possible, draw a correlation between what you want and the interests of your community, (i.e. their district). Show them that you are not the only one who feels the way you do.

They may not want to take your side in order to avoid taking “heat” over the issue, but you could offer to help solve this problem by working to counteract the heat. Offer to write supportive letters-to-the-editor, phone calls to local talk radio, or even send out a press release from your group thanking them for their support. Find out what “cover” they may need to help get them over the line. Offer to work with their staff to get it done. Be helpful and make it easy for them to say yes.

Be Responsive

If an elected official expresses an interest in your issue or request, be ready to answer questions or provide any additional information they may need. Afterwards, follow up with a thank-you letter highlighting your discussion, (especially if they agreed to anything), and include any additional information they may have requested.

***

In our system of government, the squeaky wheel usually gets the grease, and given that the percentage of people who take the time to meet personally with elected officials is so incredibly low, it shows commitment on your part. And it lets them know just how squeaky you might be.

If done consistently and professionally, meeting with your elected officials will help you be a much more effective advocate for the things that you care about. Building relationships with them will not only further your credibility as a citizen (or organization), but it will also provide opportunities for you to have a greater impact for the conservative cause in the future.

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-have-a-productive-meeting-with-elected-officials/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-have-a-productive-meeting-with-elected-officials/How to Target Your Grassroots Lobbying Effortshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/p4UpIoWb-Bc/
http://drewmckissick.com/target-grassroots-lobbying/#respondWed, 10 Jun 2015 18:47:53 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1453One of the most important questions to answer before starting any grassroots lobbying campaign is “who” are you going to lobby? In pretty much every campaign there is a limited amount of time and resources available, and you want to get the most out them both. That means targeting them where they can make the […]

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]]>One of the most important questions to answer before starting any grassroots lobbying campaign is “who” are you going to lobby? In pretty much every campaign there is a limited amount of time and resources available, and you want to get the most out them both. That means targeting them where they can make the most difference.

It all starts with a list. And that means some research, organization and coordination with your allies.

Use the following guidelines:

Start a Target List

Make a list of every elected official who has any bearing on the success of your effort. Such as every member of a committee that is dealing with your issue, or every member of a full legislative body (or council) if you’re preparing for a final vote on something. Make note of whatever you know about their position on the issue. If necessary, find past votes on similar issues that can help predict their behavior. Add in any general impressions from lobbyists or legislative allies you may be working with. Lastly, depending on whether legislators are up for reelection, the narrowness of their former election victories may be a factor in how they are likely to vote as well, (they all want to get re-elected!). Make note of it.

Organize the List

Next up, you need to organize the list according to the initial information that you have on each official. Some elected officials will definitely be with you, and some will definitely be against you, and – depending on your vote count – it’s not worth spending a lot of time on either group. Rate them a scale of 1 to 5: (1 = absolutely with you, 2 = leaning with you, 3 = undecided/unknown, 4 = leaning against you, 5 definitely against you). Add the numbers up to gauge how you are doing, (the lower the total the better).

Your job is to focus on the votes in the middle – the potential “swing” votes. That means focusing your lobbying time and resources on the 2’s, 3’s and 4’s.

Update and Work the List

Successful grassroots lobbying on most any issue is a constantly evolving process right up until the final vote is cast. It’s not a one-time thing where you speak up and then go home. It requires consistent follow up.

As you and your allies lobby the same target list, information will be coming from every direction if everyone is doing their job. Of course some legislators have been known to tell one thing to one group of people and something different to others, (imagine!), so targets will move up and down the scale depending on the most up-to-date intelligence. You have to keep things straight in order to gauge where you stand – and whether you might need to consider compromising if you think you will lose, or change direction and fight another day.

Consider using a notebook (or even a spreadsheet if you want to get sophisticated) with one page to keep track of each targeted official.

Key Information for Tracking Officials:

Who made each contact with them

When it was made

What the official said about their position

How it rated on the scale of 1 to 5

This will help you keep up with each official’s “evolving” position over time, and if someone needs shoring up. It will also help you get a feel for which arguments are working and which ones aren’t – and what objections need to be overcome. Remember, the argument that you might think is the most persuasive may not be the same one that actually works, (and it may be different for every elected official). Pay attention to what they say actually moves them and adjust accordingly.

Since maintaining multiple lists will only breed confusion, one person should be designated as the “List Coordinator”. All information should then be passed through them, and they should be touching base with allies on a regular basis to keep it up to date, as well as send out updates and let allies know who needs to be targeted and when. Since everyone can’t be at city hall or the state capitol all the time, it’s better to pick a list coordinator who is close to the action and who has the time, (even a lobbyist, legislative staffer or friendly legislator if they’re on your team).

As General George Patton once put it, “Information is like eggs; the fresher the better”. When it comes to lobbying, the information you gather is only as “fresh” as the degree everyone works to keep it up to date; and it’s only as useful as the degree that you actually put it to use.

Make sure that your grassroots lobbying strategy and tactics revolve around it.

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/target-grassroots-lobbying/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/target-grassroots-lobbying/HOW to Have Meetings that Matterhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/YgO4xbqfyNA/
http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-have-meetings-that-matter/#respondWed, 03 Jun 2015 17:51:35 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1446It’s hard to have an organization without meetings, and you can’t have meetings without people. But meetings that aren’t organized or run well can be one of the quickest ways to kill interest and run people away from any organization. As I have mentioned several times, “politics is people” – and if you can’t attract […]

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]]>It’s hard to have an organization without meetings, and you can’t have meetings without people. But meetings that aren’t organized or run well can be one of the quickest ways to kill interest and run people away from any organization.

As I have mentioned several times, “politics is people” – and if you can’t attract people to get involved to begin with and keep them involved, then you aren’t going to get much done. It’s hard enough to find people who are interested in having anything to do with grassroots politics to begin with, which makes it self-defeating when we subject them to long, boring meetings after we manage to get them into the room.

There are five key words to remember: Do – Not – Have – Boring – Meetings!

If you’re just getting involved and organizing something for the first time, then you’re probably less likely to have bad habits to break out of. But if you’re running a large, formal, preexisting organization, then you need to take a look and see if there are some old habits that may be holding the group back.

It doesn’t matter if your group is five people or five-hundred, BORING kills. Don’t let the necessity of meetings get you in a process that drains interest and frustrates the overall purposes of the group.

All Meetings Are Not Created Equally

Different types of meetings serve different purposes, and you have different purposes that you need to accomplish in order to succeed. You need to attract people, you need to inform people, you need to involve people and you need to organize people and conduct business. And all of those different purposes work better with differently structured meetings.

So what do you do? Before you decide what “type” of meeting to have, know what the objective is. Determine that, then build the meeting and the agenda around it.

And remember that each type of purpose as well as each type of meeting format attracts different types of people. All people don’t like all types of meetings. Everyone doesn’t want to listen to speeches. Everyone doesn’t want to sit through “Roberts Rules” style business meetings. Everyone doesn’t want to do social time.

The point is that you need to make an effort to be sure that the type of meetings that you hold are as diverse as the people that you are trying to attract.

The usual format of: prayer, pledge, minutes from last time, treasurer’s report, chairman’s report, new business, old business, then a speech from someone political is NOT the way to go about attracting new people into an organization. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have it’s place, but the problem is that too many of us typically run ALL meetings that way.

Rotate the types of meetings you have. Do you have regular monthly meetings? What about alternating “business” meetings with “social” meetings/events? Or holding shorter business meetings just before larger social events or meal. Or maybe a quick business meeting, then a meal, then a larger, more public social/informational/recruitment style event?

Remember, make your meeting formats serve the purposes of the group, not the other way around.

Different Meetings Serve Different Purposes:

Have Meetings that RECRUIT

Remember, one of the most important aspects of politics is to recruit other people to the cause. If you don’t attract people to your group or project to begin with, then you won’t get things off of the ground. Have social events. Think dinners, a Saturday breakfast, mixers, pig-pickins, oyster roasts, bands, etc. Throw a big-name politician in the mix if you can to attract more people. Think of it as a sales pitch that describes the problem, your group’s solution and the organization that you want to build.

And don’t forget to focus on doing something to attract young people. Remember, they’re a critical part of the farm team.

Have Meetings that INFORM

You need to have meetings that “new” people can attend and get their feet wet and decide how they want to fit in, without getting bored not bothering to come back to another meeting. Larger “general” informational meetings that describe what the group is about, what you’re trying to do and why, and what you’re trying to find volunteers to help accomplish. Talk about the jobs people can fill. Make the pitch about all the different types of opportunities people have to get involved.

Have Meetings that ORGANIZE

Once people have been recruited and informed, you still can’t really have an “organization” without getting organized. At the most basic level, this is simply a matter of sketching out what areas need to be covered and what needs to get done and then playing a glorified game of “fill in the blank”. Have meetings that focus on fleshing out the organization. Then there’s also the regular “business” meetings that you need in order to keep things organized. Just note that this is only ONE of many types of meetings, so don’t overdo it.

Have Meetings that INVOLVE

Remember the axiom, “good projects build good organization”. So think “project” meetings where everyone knows ahead of time what the point of the meeting is and comes prepared to work or with ideas to contribute. The list of possibilities is as long as the list of things that the group needs to get done in order to be effective:

Activist identification and recruitment efforts to grow the group; updates from elected officials; organizing the group’s grassroots lobbying infrastructure and plugging members into the effort to speak out on important issues when necessary; communications and media outreach, (such as letters-to-the-editor to op-eds); activists training seminars geared around hands-on training from experienced hands on specific needs; candidate recruitment meetings focusing on identifying candidates to run for specific offices and convincing them to run; voter registration project planning; candidate forums; get-out-the-vote strategy planning… The list goes on and on.

Identify the things that the group needs to do, then plan meetings around those specific items.

***
Remember, volunteers are at a premium, so don’t run them off. Keep your meeting topics and formats centered around the purposes of the group.

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-have-meetings-that-matter/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-have-meetings-that-matter/How to Push Your Messagehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/C1fGJxoNcjU/
http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-push-a-message/#respondTue, 05 May 2015 16:11:24 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1386It doesn’t make very much sense to go to the trouble of developing and packaging a message and then not trying to push it out the door. It’s sort of like having a better mouse-trap and not letting anyone know about it. The world will pass you by. You need to know how to push […]

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]]>It doesn’t make very much sense to go to the trouble of developing and packaging a message and then not trying to push it out the door. It’s sort of like having a better mouse-trap and not letting anyone know about it. The world will pass you by.

You need to know how to push a message.

Be Proactive

If you want to get people or the press to be interested in something, you have to speak up. With potential supporters, that means using all of the means at your disposal (friends, professional networks, social networks, contact lists, etc.) to let them know what you’re working on and why. If you’re working to get media attention, when a story breaks that’s relevant to your issue or campaign, you can help make sure that they’re not looking elsewhere if you’re actively making yourself available to them. Contact whoever is covering the story, tell them how you’re involved with the issue and ask if they would like a quote. Follow it up with a fact sheet and/or a press release.

Stay On Message

Once you’re confident with what you want to say, remember to stay ON message. That means that you need to STAY FOCUSED. What good does it do for you to prepare a message and then get distracted from delivering it? No matter what the question is, or whatever the subject, either find a way to relate it back to your primary message, or answer it quickly and then move back to what you want to talk about.

Focus on One Angle

Your messages should always feature an “angle”, meaning an interesting hook that you can “hang it on” that would interest people (and the media) in finding out more about it. It’s not that you develop a new primary message, but rather that you find a way to relate it to something interesting or timely (in current events for example) to hang it on. It’s a way to keep your primary relevant and interesting – and more likely to be opened, clicked, shared, reported on, etc.

Never try to promote more than one angle in a message at a time, as it all just gets lost and confusing. Whether it’s in printed materials, press releases, interviews, social media posts, direct mail, email, or whatever, find one angle each time and stick with it. This also helps give you better control over what actually gets shared or reported.

Keep it Simple

Keep things direct and focused on whatever angle opens the door for your “primary” message. Don’t try to impress everyone with a barrage of information. That’s what links are for. If want to make further detailed information available, add a link to it.

Use Key Phrases

Create short phrases that drive your overall primary message that you can use repeatedly in any messaging environment. Phrases that use bold, descriptive words that amplify your point. The kind of short phrases that you could shorten even further into a social media #hashtag.

Be Quotable

One way to increase the odds that what you share with supporters or push to the media will get more attention is to be quotable. Find ways to express your opinion on the current “angle” in a way that supports your primary message, and is pithy and to the point. Spend time putting such quotes together ahead of time; some serious and some humorous. Use them for your social media efforts, and work them into quotes that you give the media. Just be careful not to be quotable in the kind of way that would hamper your efforts.

Keep it Consistent

Don’t muddle your primary message. Make sure that the messages you’re promoting, and the angles that you use to promote them, are consistent with your overall “primary” message and help support it. Otherwise people will be confused about what you really stand for.

Multiply Your Efforts

Remember, when it comes to messaging, REPETITION EQUALS IMPACT. Your job is to push your message in as many different environments and platforms as you can in a consistent way. If people continue to receive the same message, over and over from multiple directions, it’s more likely to sink in.

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http://drewmckissick.com/package-message/#respondThu, 23 Apr 2015 15:56:21 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1379In politics, it’s one thing to know what you want to say, but it’s another to put it all together in a way that helps you have an impact. And that means message packaging. Once you’ve spent time developing your overall message, make sure that you take the time to package it for success. That […]

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In politics, it’s one thing to know what you want to say, but it’s another to put it all together in a way that helps you have an impact. And that means message packaging.

Once you’ve spent time developing your overall message, make sure that you take the time to package it for success. That means putting it together in different ways for different formats and purposes and sometimes adding other information to supplement it.

Here are some of the basic important ways to package your message.

Create an Elevator Pitch

When it comes to effectively communicating a message, there are a lot of great lessons from the business world that we can apply to politics. One of them is known as the “elevator pitch”. It’s a condensed way to communicate what you’re doing, why, and what you want people to do – all in about the amount of time it takes to ride in an elevator. And it’s one of the ways that you should “package” your message for later use.

Describe your idea/issue/campaign, what you’re trying to do or the result that you want.

Why is it important? Make it relevant to people and their values.

Describe the key benefits of your “solution”. What’s in it for them?

Clearly state what they need to do. Make it easy and actionable.

Be passionate and use “benefit” focused terms. Be concise and clear. Write it down. Read it. Then delete anything that’s not critical. (Wash, rinse, repeat…) Remember, the trick is to get all of this across in just a few sentences, (or about thirty seconds).

If you can’t communicate your message quickly, then you haven’t finished refining it.

Just as every business needs to “sell” something, politics and public policy is about sales too. And people respond (or not) to political messages in the same way that they do to any other sales pitch. Developing a good elevator pitch will make it easier for you (and supporters) to summarize your issue or campaign to others.

Remember, succinct and relevant messages are more likely to cut through the clutter. Those that aren’t get tuned out.

Fact Sheets

This is where you can add some more meat to the bones. Take your “message map” and build it out with more exhaustive information on each of the points. Find all of the relevant examples and statistics that you want to include, and even add links and references to outside sources. Add any quotes from you or recognizable people who are supporting the effort. You may even have enough information for a one-page fact sheet on each of your points, (just try not to go beyond that).

This is the type of information that becomes part “reference” for yourself, but is put together in such a way that you can make it available to people who want further information on any particular points, (including the press). You could make it available on a website, as handouts, or use it in press packets with other information that you ever make available to the media. (Remember, reporters are usually pretty lazy…this is a way of doing work for them).

Talking Points

This is a more summarized version of your fact sheet. It should be a series of the key “bullet points” (just a few sentences) that you want supporters to communicate to others. In a way, they should be like little “elevator pitches” for each point, communicating why it’s important and relevant in a succinct way, using bold and benefit focused language. It’s also a great way to help maintain some message discipline. If you actually write down what you want to say (and have others say), it’s more likely to be said. Profound, isn’t it?

Make your fact sheets and talking points easy to share with others, (such as with a PDF that’s easy to link to, download, email, print, etc.).

Support Letters

If you’re in a lobbying campaign and you’re trying to get supporters to speak out, it helps if you do a good bit of the work for them, like locating the contact information for the people they need to get in touch with for starters. But this also can mean putting together a letter/email “template” of what they should say. Of course you don’t want a slew of identical form letters, but you can put together a basic, properly addressed, letter format for them, with your main message along with some key talking points, and encourage them to put things into their own words. The more helpful you can be, the more results you’ll probably see.

Also, remember that when it comes to lobbying, legislative offices are usually flooded with paper, and they throw most of it away. That’s why you should always to keep everything down to one page in length.

If it takes forever to follow an argument, then you’ve lost it.

***
The point is to make it easy for anyone – whether a supporter, potential supporter, elected official or the media – to know what you’re doing and why it’s important. And going through this process can help you with creating custom versions of your message for everything from slogans and bumper stickers to ad copy and speeches.

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/package-message/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/package-message/Religious Liberty and Republican Opportunityhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/0ccZK6-46bE/
http://drewmckissick.com/religious-liberty-republican-opportunity/#respondWed, 08 Apr 2015 20:25:54 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1367The recent battles over religious liberty in Indiana and Arkansas demonstrate an ironic truth: that we are actually debating whether or not you can be forced to violate your faith in a country originally settled by people looking for the freedom to practice their faith. Let that soak in for a minute. The hysteria was […]

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]]>The recent battles over religious liberty in Indiana and Arkansas demonstrate an ironic truth: that we are actually debating whether or not you can be forced to violate your faith in a country originally settled by people looking for the freedom to practice their faith.

Let that soak in for a minute.

The hysteria was truly something to behold. Liberals descended on Indiana and its politicians like flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz. Protesters stormed the state capital. Reporters ambushed flat-footed politicians and business owners. Corporations pontificated. Democrats huffed and puffed. Social media melted.

The source of all the fuss was passage of state-level versions of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, simply mandating that government must have a “compelling interest” to infringe on religion (a higher legal standard), and that it must use the “least restrictive” means possible whenever it does.

The federal version was probably the most bi-partisan, (nearly) unanimously passed law in modern American history (435-0 in the House and 97-3 in the Senate) and signed by Bill Clinton no less in 1993. Congress can’t generate that much bipartisan support for a resolution declaring water to be wet, but there it is, in all of its “hate mongering” glory.

The liberal claim is that such laws are just a tool to discriminate against gays, but the unavoidable fact is that allowing people of faith to decline to participate in something that violates their faith (like a gay wedding) in a country whose First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion is NOT discrimination. (And just how do you “discriminate” against an activity?)

As usual, the liberal hypocrisy was delicious. Democrat Governor Dan Malloy of Connecticut jumped to criticize and join a “boycott Indiana” movement despite having the same law in his own state. Many of the corporations who jeered the loudest do business in countries that not only lack religious freedom, but where women and homosexuals have NO rights whatsoever.

The Forces of Intolerance

Of course the media knew this, but chose to ignore it. Scalps had to be taken. The forces of “tolerance” now demand that government enforce their views on everyone else, and they eagerly engage in the public-relations lynching of anyone who disagrees. They have no “tolerance” for unconformity.

As Pat Buchanan put it years ago, “If we’re going to have tolerance in this country, then there has to be tolerance for the views of the majority”. But it’s truly amazing how far and how quickly things have degenerated. On the issue of gay marriage, we have gone from “just civil unions”, to so-called “marriage equality”, to “you WILL celebrate and serve” and “You will NOT publicly object”

Christian businesses are being sought out for legal retribution. Employees and even CEOs have lost their jobs simply because they contributed to referendums calling for the traditional definition of marriage. Individual supporters have even had their home addresses posted online to make organized harassment even easier.

It’s all straight out of Saul Alinksy’s “Rules for Radicals” liberal play-book: “Rule 12 – Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.”

Sound familiar? They’re working to isolate religious conservatives – particularly evangelical Christians – and marginalize them and make them toxic to others in order to chill public advocacy and philanthropy on their behalf. To make it difficult for them to live their faith and openly operate in polite society or even earn a living.

Republican Opportunities

You really have to wonder when Democrat leaders will get a little worried about their minions taking this whole anti-religion thing too far, considering the fact that religious Americans have been leaving their party for years (most recently including white Catholics). But if the party whose national delegates booed having a reference to God in their platform in 2012 wants to officially become the anti-religion party, Republicans should help them by reminding pro-faith Americans every chance they get.

The point is that religious liberty is an incredible political opportunity for Republicans, if we will learn how to make the most of it. Lesson one is to know how to talk about the issue. And lesson two is to actually talk about it. Often.

We need to recognize that liberals have won their major political battles by turning someone into a victim and winning the sympathy of Americans in the political mushy-middle. The media pounces, businesses cringe and politicians cave. It’s a familiar pattern. But now we have the opportunity to turn the tables and use the same tactic to great effect by framing the debate around our own victims.

Republicans should remember that polls show a clear majority (over 70% in the latest Rasmussen poll) favoring the rights of Christian business people to live out their faith in the course of their business and not be made to choose between their faith and their livelihood.

They should remember that tens of thousands of Americans responded with over $840,000 in less than 48 hours for a small pizzeria when it was threatened by the liberal grievance machine. How many politicians who trip over themselves to chase donors are paying attention?

They should remember that religious conservatives are their most loyal supporters, and that the estimated forty to fifty million unregistered and/or nonvoting evangelicals on the sidelines are the largest untapped reservoir in American politics. But they have to be engaged on an emotional level.

The Republican platform should continue to stand for traditional values and liberty, and grassroots conservatives should organize to reject the certain coming attempts to water down its support for the traditional definition of marriage. If that happens, we lose. Which is precisely why the liberal media will beat the drum for it next year

Elections are about math. They’re about addition and the leverage (or multiplication) you get when your base is fully engaged and truly energized. In 2008 and 2012 that wasn’t the case. The opportunity for Republicans in 2016 is clear. If religious liberty isn’t a political hill for Republicans to fight and win on, then no such hill exists.

***

Let’s be clear, for people of faith, “religious liberty” is quickly becoming the “OK, take the culture and the country and just leave me alone” position. It’s the last stand. There’s really nothing else to lose after that. It’s the terms of our surrender in the culture war. The place where we hope to make a stand and then grow and regroup for the future.

In a way, it’s kind of the same position that the original American pilgrims had. They gave up trying to live their faith at home, so they left home and came here. And several hundred years later, here we are, but with no “new world” to go to.

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/religious-liberty-republican-opportunity/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/religious-liberty-republican-opportunity/How to Develop a Messagehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/PuygjDLpEfc/
http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-develop-a-message/#respondThu, 02 Apr 2015 14:42:55 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1361When you’re trying to have an impact on pretty much anything in politics it usually involves a need to communicate a clear message – whether to a group of people, the media, or both. But in order to cut through the clutter of competing stories and messages and communicate in a way that will make […]

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]]>When you’re trying to have an impact on pretty much anything in politics it usually involves a need to communicate a clear message – whether to a group of people, the media, or both. But in order to cut through the clutter of competing stories and messages and communicate in a way that will make a difference, you need to do a little preparation.

Gather all the information that’s relevant to your issue or campaign and distill your concerns down into bullet points. This will help you think through the process and focus your arguments.

Know the Opposition’s Arguments

The better you understand an issue, the better you can communicate, so studying the opposing view can often give you a perspective on an issue that you may have overlooked. The challenge is to gain insight into all aspects of the issue so you can build a winning message, then take what you’ve learned into account when finalizing your own message.

If you understand what your opponents are saying, you will be in a better position to counter their arguments.

Make a Message Map

Creating a “message map” is simple. Just develop a short headline that describes your issue or campaign. Even try to make it short enough to be “Twitter friendly”. Then add three or four supporting points, and then some extended points to each of those, (possibly including some examples, statistics, stories or news items).

Be sure to:

Describe why it is important in a way that is relevant to people and their values.

Describe the “key benefits” of your position. What’s in it for people to support you?

Define what action you want people to take.

The result is that all of your content after the main headline (or message) supports that message. The process helps you create an outline (or “map”) for your message and will help you further refine it as you go. It will also be useful to you later as you “package” your message for supporters, the media, or even to better enable you to speak on the subject.

The most effective messages are those that resonate, educate and motivate people to action.

Define the Problem

Make sure that you define the problem that your message addresses in such a way that people can easily see how it will be “solved” by the proposed “solution” or outcome that you’re calling for. It makes it easier for people to understand the “why?” – and it’s another way of “framing the debate”.

Make it Personal

Theoretical and abstract arguments are not as good as explaining how an issue really impacts people’s lives. Do some research to find victims or success stories, whichever is appropriate to your issue. A victim is a “poster child” who dramatically illustrates the problems with the policy you want changed, and a success story would be a “poster child” that illustrates the good things that will happen if your position is successful.

Communicate something that people can easily identify with or relate to.

***

If you’re going to go to the trouble of speaking out for a policy or proposal that you believe in, (or even run a campaign), then you may as well go to the (slightly more) trouble of developing a relevant, clear and concise message that can help you be more successful.

The easier that you make it for people (and the media) to understand your message, the more effective it will be.

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]]>http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-develop-a-message/feed/0http://drewmckissick.com/how-to-develop-a-message/Tips for Effective Confrontation in Politicshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DrewMckissick/~3/WLB89ayGSYE/
http://drewmckissick.com/tips-for-effective-confrontation-in-politics/#respondWed, 11 Feb 2015 15:46:03 +0000http://drewmckissick.com/?p=1299The principles that are at stake in American politics sometimes require that conservatives be willing to be confrontational. If we’re always fighting with one hand tied behind our backs, we can’t very well expect to win. But it’s one thing to point out the need to be willing to be confrontational, and another to go […]

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]]>The principles that are at stake in American politics sometimes require that conservatives be willing to be confrontational. If we’re always fighting with one hand tied behind our backs, we can’t very well expect to win.

But it’s one thing to point out the need to be willing to be confrontational, and another to go about it in a way that helps your cause. So how do you go about it? Just like most other things in politics (and life), it helps if you have a plan. The following is a list of general tips for effective political confrontation.

Know Yourself and Your Opposition

“Know thy enemy as well as thyself” is an old military truism, and it’s just as true when it comes to political activism as it is to military operations. In order to be effective at confrontations, conservatives must not only know the opposition, but also know the basis of their own beliefs and be ready to defend them.

Frame the Debate

This is a strategic way to present issues in terms that help shape debate in your favor. For conservatives, the basic method is to “get to the heart of the matter”, which is usually the opposition’s Achilles’ heel. This should be the fundamental guide whenever initiating a political offensive or responding to an attack. When going on the offensive, if you fail to get to the heart of the matter, you’re likely to get sucked into a debate that is centered on the liberal world view. In other words, you end up fighting on their terms.

Remember, framing the debate is easier when you initiate the debate. Talk about what you want to talk about, not what they opposition wants to talk about. (For more details, check out my post on “How to Frame the Debate”)

Go on Offense

Whether you like it or not, the aggressor usually shapes the debate in politics. This means that it’s best to be on offense so that you can advance your agenda on your own terms and on your own schedule. The reverse scenario is that you get blindsided and are forced to respond to your opposition. The more unprepared someone is to respond, the less effective their response will be, and the more likely that they’re constantly playing defense, (and it’s hard to fight on your heels).

In American politics, liberals (excuse me, “progressives”) are usually the aggressors. Generally speaking, they are the ones who want to change the pre-existing, more conservative norms of society and government, (you know, “hope-n-change”, etc.).

This fact has several ramifications: First, it allows liberals to set the terms of the public debate and put conservatives on the defensive, and second, it usually makes us look negative, (as liberals will generally push until the conservative opposition starts to look hysterically negative…which makes the news media happy since they love to show conservatives in a negative light).

At this point, they may take a step back from their own radical position and offer a compromise in order to appear “reasonable” and “moderate”. Of course, if the “compromise” is accepted, they have still advanced their agenda.

The solution is for conservatives to be the aggressors. We need to spend more time being the proponents of “change” – as in changing things to better align with, protect or reclaim conservative norms. Things that average people can connect with and relate to on an everyday basis. Given the current state of our country, there’s no shortage of things to be aggressive about.

Remember, the best defense is a good offense.

Never Compromise First

It’s a basic principle of negotiation in business never to be the first one to name a price. Usually, that person loses. You’ve given away valuable information and may be underselling yourself. You can apply the same thing in the political arena. Never be the first one to compromise. If you are, you’re probably losing something. They know how weak or strong you think your position is. And they know what you’ve got to give up, and then they’ll want more.

Take your time. Gather information and carefully asses your strengths and weaknesses. Then see what they’re willing to put on the table. (For more info, see my post on “Basic Political Negotiation Techniques”)

Maintain Steady Pressure

The most effective confrontation is persistent confrontation. When you’re pushing an issue, don’t give your opposition time to breathe. Don’t let them collect their thoughts and figure out how best to derail your plans because you’re constantly ramping up the pressure…announcing new supporters…doing press releases or op-eds pointing to personal examples that show the logic of your position, or polls or petition announcements demonstrating its support. Friendly legislators can help with this through scheduling meetings, hearings, or issuing government reports as time goes on.

Be persistent. It will help you bolster your momentum and can keep the opposition off balance.

Take Your Case to the People

Public policy is all about politics…and politics is people. Don’t rely solely on the legislative process and politicians to accomplish your agenda. You have to engage the public. Specifically, you have to engage and activate those who are already predisposed to care about your issue. Turn THEM into lobbyists too.

Stay Positive

Effective confrontation requires a positive attitude. Even though you may get dismayed (rightfully so) about the condition of our nation and society, you can’t let that keep you from staying positive. Remember what you’re “selling”. You’re advocating your principles, and negativity isn’t going to help you “sell” them. People buy in to hope. Despair they can get on their own. Remember, nobody likes a “negative Nancy”.

***

Like it or not, confrontation of often a necessity in politics. Instead of maintaining a defensive posture, conservatives should look for issues where our opponents are vulnerable and be steady and relentless in promoting our agenda.